Tamio's Diary

5 a.m., and the first thing that woke him was his loud alarm clock. He was quite annoyed and tried to turn it off as quickly as possible, and after a few attempts, he finally managed it. The teenager awoke from his slumber and yawned. It was the first day of school again. "What a nightmare," he thought as he walked into the bathroom.

Tamio forgot what he had just been thinking or dreaming. That's the thing with dreams. They're instantaneous and disappear in seconds. Tamio knew this only too well and sighed again as he washed his face with cold water. Yet he wasn't awake yet.

Half asleep, he walked down into the kitchen. It was one of his many problems. Staying awake. He just had to try it, he thought as he grabbed an energy drink. He'd be lying if he said it tasted good. As soon as he tasted the bitterness, he shook his head in disgust. Tamio prefers sour and sweet, even spicy, to bitter, but the caffeine it contains is known to keep the drinker awake and active for a short time, and it works faster than coffee. Simply opening the can, drinking it, and throwing it away is also quick.

While he was at it, he realized his cat needed to be fed, and there it was, demanding his food. He jumped onto the counter, purring as innocently as he pretended to be, while Tamio opened the can and poured the cat food into a bowl. He placed Yume's breakfast next to his water bowl, which he also filled. Meanwhile, Yume ate his breakfast quickly. The furless cat ate quickly and, thankfully, without making too many spills.

As usual, Tamio skipped breakfast and went back to his room, feeling like he was finally awake. With more energy than ten minutes ago, he grabbed his uniform and laid it on the bed first before changing. He was someone who liked to wear smart and neat clothes, with a jacket, tie, and shirt, so wearing them wasn't a problem for him. However, he noticed that his trousers were a bit tight. He had to ask for new ones. His hip growth spurts during the school holidays seem to be quite noticeable. There's nothing he can do about it, he thought, and finished putting on his uniform.

But he wasn't finished yet. His hair needed to be done. He'd had a jelly cut, with the blue sections longer, and styling them back into place with oil took a very long time. He was extra careful not to mess anything up because, just like his clothes, his appearance was important to him, and his hair was no exception. He carefully parted it with the pink ends at the top and two blue ones to the side. He brushed them, adding just enough oil to hold them in place, not too much. Once his two strands were in place, he combed his hair and looked proudly in the mirror before completing the final steps of his routine: brushing his teeth and skincare. He was very proud of his clear skin. No acne or anything. And he worked hard for it.

With that, he grabbed his backpack, his phone, and put on his shoes. "I'm leaving now," he shouted, and started running. "6 a.m., the train arrives in 15 minutes. As early as ever," he thought, glancing quickly at his watch, and headed for the train station. Good thing he lives nearby.

"Taking the train to school is always perfect~," he thought, until he heard an all-too-unpleasant voice. "Ahh, good morning. It's a good thing you're always on time." The boy complimented him, and Tamio rolled his eyes. Of course. He was here. "Ahh, earring boy," he greeted, and the other quickly corrected him. "Tanjiro Kamado is my name." "Anyway. Can't you just be, I don't know, sick or something??" The student looked at him as if he had a duty to fulfill. Full of pride and responsibility. "I can't. Not when there's a risk of you exposing your butt," he explained, and Tamio was already sitting exhausted on the bench.

"There you go again. You make me sound like an exhibitionist. It's frustrating. Your whole existence is getting on my nerves," he replied, frustrated. "That's not nice of you." "Throw you in front of a train for all I care." Despite his hurtful words, Tanjiro sat down next to him, much to his annoyance. "Why do you keep doing this? You were a nuisance last school year, and now you are too?" The younger student stared at him unchanged. "It's about the others. They'll be shocked. And also about your future. You're really smart, you'll have a bright future. You should use your ability more to help others." He answered, and Tamio sighed and ignored him while he waited for the train.

And when he arrived, his mood improved considerably. He sat down and enjoyed the ride to school. To make sure no one would disturb him, he put on headphones and listened to music. It was a long walk to school. But when he finally arrived, he went out. Still frustrated that he couldn't stay on the train but had to go to school. School, in his opinion, was a waste of time.

On the way, he managed to stop at a vending machine and buy himself a berry jelly drink. A little sweet treat before school was always perfect. As soon as he saw the building, he gave the can a quick shake. It was huge, standing as if it were in the middle of the city, but Tamio wasn't impressed. He opened it and took a sip. The refreshing taste satisfied him, and luckily for him, the school counselor wasn't there today.

A good start, he thought, as he saw a classmate on the way. He walked quickly toward her, grinning. "Ahh, you're still here, Yae?" The girl stopped and turned to him. "Ahh, good morning, Enmu. And I'm Ubume." She corrected him, her words as sweet as honey. Everything was pure elegance: her walk, her speech, and her gaze. She never seemed to look down on others. She treated everyone like a caring mother, but Tamio wasn't someone she could fool around with. No matter how closely she clung to the image of the perfect traditional Japanese woman, he knew how sadistic she really was. They were alike, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"Do you still take the role of future mother seriously? Really? Aren't you bored?" he asked mockingly, chuckling. "Ahh, you haven't changed either. It's always amusing to see that you're not in an institution where you should be." She answered as she walked toward the building, and Tamio chuckled. "Oh, I almost minded your words. But I didn't." His grin widened as he took another sip. Ubume looked him up and down carefully, making sure her hair was styled elegantly. "Of course not, silly. I almost feel sorry for you. That's why people say I'm better than you." Tamio burst out laughing.

"Who said that? The only three who know you? Deal with it, if I ask a student who you are and what you look like, most of them fail the first question, and the rest can't remember anything. Except that you have red eyes and black hair." Her expression darkened, and she had to force herself to keep smiling. "Oh yeah? When I ask them about you, most people think your name is Enmu and your last name is Tamio, or mostly Tami. Only a few know that your name is Tamio Enmu." She crossed her arms as she waited for an answer, but Tamio shrugged. "Still more people than those who know you. It's like you're barely there, you know. It's weird to think about it. You do everything you can to make a good impression, and yet so many forget about you. You're more pathetic than Kyogai."

She tilted her head at his words. "Don't you dare compare me to him. I'm proud, you know? Besides, you should take better care of yourself. The image most people have is far from the truth. It's like they hardly ever see you either." Now her words came out more like a hiss, like a snake.

Something Tamio is already used to as she grinned in her face. But her impression vanished as soon as she entered the building and saw other people. It was again the elegant illusion she created with her manner as she waved to the others. Despite his initial words, he actually found it quite impressive of Ubume to manipulate the people around her like that. There was nothing wrong between them. They simply teased each other, as both were sadistic, and they knew it.

He took off his shoes and put them in his locker before picking up his school shoes, and luckily for him, someone else came up to him. He turned around, looked up at the person, and was visibly happy. "Douma," he said excitedly, and ran towards him. Now the taller one noticed him too and smiled. "Tamio, my little friend. You."

Noticing the change, he tilted his head. "You've gained weight?" Gained weight. Tamio repeated it in his head, and those words hit him hard, and he fell to the ground, dejected and dramatic. "Your thighs are fuller now," he added, and it didn't make things any better. Douma looked down at his friend, wondering why he was reacting like that. "Still dramatic or something?" he asked, and it looked as if Tamio was dead. As if his soul had left his body. He wasn't dead. He was just being overly emotional and dramatic.

It was the first day of school, and the day was starting out great for Tamio. And that was just the beginning.